Here’s today’s Final Jeopardy (in the category Inventions) for the first game of the final in the 2017 Tournament of Champions, on Thursday, November 16, 2017 (Season 34, Episode 49):
When Time Magazine named it Invention of the Year in 2007, it was described as too slow, too big, pretty & touchy-feely
(correct response beneath the contestants)
Remember, this is a 2-game total-point affair, today’s scores get added to tomorrow to determine the champion! The winner receives $250,000; second place $100,000, and third place $50,000.
Throughout November, in memory of Cindy Stowell, I’ll be making a donation for every item sold from this site’s online store! More details are below the information about Final Jeopardy.
Today’s contestants:
Austin Rogers, a bartender from New York, New York |
Alan Lin, a software engineer from Riverside, California |
Buzzy Cohen, a music executive from Los Angeles, California |
[spoiler title=’Click/Tap Here for Final Jeopardy! Correct Response/Question’]What is the iPhone?[/spoiler]
The iPhone is ubiquitous now, but in 2007, it was revolutionary, and it completely changed how the world thought of mobile phones. While Time did describe the iPhone as all of those things, it also said “It’s a genuine handheld, walk-around computer, the first device that really deserves the name”. Can you imagine a world today without smartphones? I certainly can’t!
The one thing that amuses me is the last sentence of that Time article: that future iPhones would be “even cheaper” (the top-end 8GB iPhone retailed for $599 when it came out). Considering the iPhone X retails for $999, that is one predction that did not come through!
In memory of Cindy Stowell, I’ll be donating $2 to the Cancer Research Institute for every item sold in November from our store!. Here are our top sellers; all prices are in US dollars!
Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Tonight’s results are below!
Scores going into Final:
Alan $14,400
Austin $10,000
Buzzy $4,200
Tonight’s results:
Buzzy $4,200 – $4,200 = $0 (What is the Tesla Model S?)
Austin $10,000 – $3,500 = $6,500 (What is the iPhone? iPad?
Alan $14,400 – $5,600 = $8,800 (What is the iPad)
Thoughts from Andy: It’s very easy to miss a Final Jeopardy! clue like this. It’s very easy to get on the wrong track after seeing INVENTIONS and thinking 19th century and have to move to the 21st. And that says nothing about the immense pressure and intensity faced by the players in the finals. Stage 10 does weird, weird, weird things to people.
Also, Alex Trebek did a Q&A session at my audition yesterday. One of the things he stressed: A question might be easy for you, but it might not be easy for someone else. The toughest questions are the ones you don’t get right.
If you got it at home, congratulations! That doesn’t mean anything other than you got it at home, and that takes absolutely nothing away from the three players on stage, who, regardless of their performance on one clue, are still the 3 best players out of the last 850.
Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:
Austin $4,800
Buzzy $3,000
Alan $2,400
Opening break taken after: 15 clues
Daily Double locations:
1) CARD GAMES $800 (2nd pick)
Buzzy -600 +1000 (Alan 0 Austin 0)
2) TRIPLE RHYME TIME $800 (7th pick)
Austin 6800 +2800 (Alan 4000 Buzzy 3000)
3) PLACE “MAT”S $1600 (19h pick)
Austin 12800 -4800 (Alan 6000 Buzzy 3400)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: 104
Unplayed clues:
J! round: None!
DJ! Round: None!
Total $ Left On Board: $0
Game Stats:
Alan $14,400 Coryat, 16 correct, 1 incorrect, 24.56% in first on buzzer
Austin $12,800 Coryat, 18 correct, 3 incorrect, 31.58% in first on buzzer
Buzzy $4,000 Coryat, 10 correct, 3 incorrect, 21.05% in first on buzzer
Combined Coryat Score: $31,200
Lach Trash: $14,800 (on 15 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $8,000
Alan Lin, stats to date:
212 correct, 20 incorrect
35.23% in first on buzzer (192/562)
10/14 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $19,205)
7/10 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $16,260
Austin Rogers, stats to date:
386 correct, 51 incorrect
40.27% in first on buzzer (362/899)
23/30 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $104,100)
14/16 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $16,863
Buzzy Cohen, stats to date:
261 correct, 47 incorrect
35.64% in first on buzzer (258/724)
15/21 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $24,600)
8/13 in Final Jeopardy!
Average Coryat: $13,600
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So what question did Austin get wrong by adding an “s”? And how did he end up losing $3200 because of it? I rewound it a couple of times and couldn’t figure it out, and Trebek didn’t elaborate…
It was the $1600 clue in TRIPLE RHYME TIME. Adding an S means his response no longer rhymes, thus, it is not acceptable.
He lost $3,200 because he was originally given 1600, and to go from +1600 to -1600, you have to take away 3200.
Two quibbles:
1) I am almost certain that slugs do, in fact, eat protists (most of which are non-photosynthetic). Alan’s response (“protists”) should have been accepted.
2) As regards a pope who served in Hitler’s youth brigade, Austin’s response was “Benedict.” There have been 16 popes who chose the name Benedict. The clue referred to Pope Benedict XVI. Austin’s answer was incomplete, and therefore should not have been accepted.
Jasper
If they didn’t want to accept just Benedict they probably would have asked “which one?” Not declare it unacceptable.
Andy – I always see your recap on this site way before the show airs. I purposely don’t look at it until after the show is over. How do you recap the show at least 6 hours before it airs in your (and my) time zone? How do you watch the show hours before it normally airs??
The show airs at many different times around the country, some as early as 10:30 AM Eastern. Moreover, through my television package, and through friends willing to contribute, I personally have access to stations that air the show before when it might air in most East Coast markets.
et pourtant……
I chose iPhone, but given the wording of the clue, I thought iPad, which came out three years later, was a better choice. Austin missed only his second Final…
Austin Rogers was my favorite to win,he’s so down to earth and funny ,very endearing not to mention brilliant, he should have his own show!!!! and I mean it!
he’s very special, didn’t you hear me shout the last answer about Montpelier Vermont?? enjoyed your personality , hope to see you on talk shows.
Good Luck Charlie
Why do the contestants no longer come out and stand next to Alex at the end of the show?
Nothing has been officially communicated as to why, but a few theories brought forward:
1) It saves time when taping. Now, instead of extra time being taken for a producer to take the contestants to their respective marks, Alex can just walk over. It’s one continuous take after Final Jeopardy, and I would venture this saves 10-15 minutes each tape day.
2) It’s less ableist. Now, contestants with mobility issues don’t have that issue highlighted by the show having to keep the contestants at the lecterns instead of bringing them on stage.
Thank you! It’s been bugging us.